Playing the Field: A Diamonds and Dugouts Novel Read Free Page B

of things. And that exercise was essential for diabetics. JP had a buddy who had diabetes and was a professional rock climber. It didn’t slow him down one bit. Kids went nuts when he shared that bit.
    Besides, he figured her having to wait on him would only whet her appetite.
    JP gestured to the worn glove. “That’s a great lookin’ mitt you have there.” The boy looked at it, eyes lit with pride. “I can tell it’s been well used. I’m JP, by the way. You play ball?”
    Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman shift and place a hand on the kid’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. And he also saw her gaze slide over him for a brief moment. Was that interest he glimpsed?
    The mitt was shoved under his nose and JP smelled leather and the outdoors. The kid explained, “I’ve been playing ball since I was in diapers. Least that’s what my mom says.”
    JP grinned at the visual and took the mitt, examining it. “Is that so? Moms always say weird stuff like that, don’t they?”
    The boy rolled his eyes with exaggeration. “Totally.”
    JP relaxed and cocked a hip, his cleats puncturing the outfield grass as he settled. “What’s your name, kid?”
    The boy’s chest blew up like a puffer fish. “I’m Charlie Miller and this is my mom. Her name’s Sonny. She plays baseball pretty good for a girl.”
    The look she gave her son had JP laughing out loud.
    “What do you mean ‘for a girl’? Who schooled you and your friends last week at your birthday party with a homer that shot clear over the barn into the pasture?” She waggled her thumbs at her chest and JP couldn’t help scoping out her breasts for a second. “Oh, that’s right. It was me.”
    The sound of her voice surprised him. She had one of those Katherine Heigl voices that was all smoke and sex. It sent a shiver through his belly and had him thinking naughty thoughts. If it was this husky now, what would it be like during a hot romp in the sack?
    He caught her eye and their gazes connected, held. Something sparked, but before he could explore it she broke contact and looked away, her face a little flushed.
    She cleared her throat and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Trudeau. Charlie is a big fan and plays shortstop too. We were at a few Rush games this spring when you’d first been traded. He watched the way you fielded and decided he wanted to try out the position. It’s been a lot of fun for him.”
    JP reached out and ruffled the kid’s hair. “No kidding? You thinking of going pro someday, Charlie?”
    The boy nodded emphatically. “Definitely. What’s it like? Is it as cool as I think it is?”
    “It is, buddy,” he said after considering how cool his job would seem to a ten-year-old. “But it’s a lot of hard work and dedication too. You have to practice even when you don’t feel like it, and you have to be away from home a lot during the season.”
    Charlie nodded seriously. “That’d be okay.”
    “You miss your family some. And it’s hard to have a pet because you’re gone so much and don’t have time to take care of them properly.”
    With a nose wrinkled in contemplation, the boy replied, “Well, I gots my mom and she could watch my dog. We have a farm anyway, so there’s lots of room.”
    “Yeah?” He’d loved growing up on a farm. Couldn’t imagine a better place for a kid to roam. “I grew up on a farm too.”
    With a grin full of confidence, Charlie said, “I know. I’ve looked up all your stuff.”
    JP smiled and started to hand the glove back. “It’s about time for the raffle to start, so I’d better make my way to the stage.”
    Charlie pushed the mitt back. “Would you sign my mitt for me, please?”
    “Sure thing.” He reached in his pocket for a Sharpie and wrote his name across the thumb piece. “Here you go.”
    “Thanks!”
    JP figured he’d given her long enough and turned his gaze back to Sonny. “So you play some ball too?” he said, referring to the birthday ball